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Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My Native Land, My Pride and Joy) is the national anthem (riigihümn or rahvushümn in Estonian) of the Republic of Estonia since 1920 (reinstated as national anthem in 1990). From 1940 until 1990, Estonia was given a different anthem as part of the Soviet Union.

The lyrics are by Johann Voldemar Jannsen, the music (1848) by Friedrich Pacius (also spelt Fredrik Pacius).

The song was first presented to the public as a choir song in the Grand Song Festival of Estonia in 1869 and became quickly a symbol of the Estonian awakening age.

Interestingly, the national anthem of the Republic of Finland shares the same music.

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm,
Kui kaunis oled sa!
Ei leia mina iial tääl
See suure laia ilma pääl,
Mis mull' nii armas oleks ka
Kui sa, mu isamaa!

Sa oled mind ju sünnitand
Ja üles kasvatand;
Sind tänan mina alati
Ja jään sul truuks surmani!
Mul kõige armsam oled sa,
Mu kallis isamaa!

Su üle Jumal valvaku,
Mu armas isamaa!
Ta olgu sinu kaitseja
Ja võtku rohkest' õnnista'
Mis iial ette võtad sa,
Mu kallis isamaa!

English translation

My native land, my joy, delight,
How fair thou art and bright!
And nowhere in the world all round
Can ever such a place be found
So well beloved as i love thee,
My native country dear!

My little cradle stood on thy soil,
Whose blessings ease my toil.
With my last breath my thanks to thee,
For true to death I'll ever be,
O worthy, most beloved and fine,
Thou, dearest country mine!

May God in Heaven thee defend,
My best, my dearest land!
May He be guard, may He be shield,
For ever may He bless and wield
O graciously all deeds of thine,
Thou dearest country mine!

Note

In English-language mediums, the title is sometimes misspelt without the diacritical signs, so "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" becomes "Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room". Although Estonians can mostly recognize the incorrect form, it is usually considered humorous since it severely changes the meaning: while "õnn ja rõõm" means "happiness and joy," "onn ja room" can roughly be translated as "small hut and crawl."

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